Rotary combustion-engine.



F. FLEMING. ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30; 1908.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P.'FLEMING. I ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1908.

941,567. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

I M' '22 Z 72$ gg,

. lnz/ewior.

il/zmssas: By I v I v 0 UNITED FRANK FLEMING, OF ROME, NEW YORK.

ROTARY COMBUSTYON-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

. Application filed. April 30, 1908. Serial No. 430,123.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, FRANK FLEMING, of Rome. in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Rotary Combustion- Eugines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

lhisinvention relates to certain improvements in rotary combustion engines in which liquid hydro carbon and air or any equivalent thereof isused as the explosive mixture.-

My main object is to produce a rotary gas engine in which the explosive mixture or gas may be effectively compressed just prior to ignition by providing a rotary piston with a plurality of trailer wings hinged thereto and foldable .toward and from each other and toward and from the piston and operating in pairs in such man nor as toreceive the fresh charge of live gases when at their maximum position of opening or separation andto gradually fold the wings of each pair toward each other to compress the intervening charge to the maximum degree when brought into position for ignition. I

Another object is to provide for the simultaneous admission, ignition and compression of a plurality of charges of the explosive mixture at diametrically opposite sides of the piston thereby rotating the piston with a very much increased power and less vibration. y.

Another object is to provide for the recurrence of these simultaneous explosions several times during each rotation of the piston so as to impart a steadier rotary action to the piston.

Another ob ect is to pro'videfor the automatic opening and closing of the inlet and exhaust valves at regular predetermined intervals of rotation of the piston and its trailer wings Other objects and uses relating to specific structural elements of the engine will he brought out in the following description.

In the drawings-Figure l is an end elevation of a rotaryen'gine embodying thevarious features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of a cylinder showing an end view of one of the wings and oilin meanstherefor, and also showing the endearings and grooveby which the trailing the wings. are

ends of held against the lnner side of the cylinder. Fig. 8 is a sectional view through one of the hinge connections between one of the win s and piston showing the spring take up or the wing. Fig. 4 1s a perspective view of one of the roller bearings at the outer end of the wing. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detached packing rings adapted to encircle the collar shown in Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the engine showing the piston and folding wings in elevation. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the center of the engine parallel with the shaft. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views taken respec tively on lines 88 and 9-9, Fig. 1-.

In carrying out the objects stated, a hollow shell of cast metal or other suitable material is constructed to form two similar merging cylinders -1 and -l having inter-communicating chambers 2 and -2 in which is movable a piston 3 having a series of in this instance four trailer wings, --4, -5, 5 and -7.

The cylinders -1 and 1'- are provided with inner curved bearing faces 8 which although circular throughout nearly their entire length are eccentrically disposed with reference to and at opposite sides of the axis of the piston 3- and intersect each other above and beneath said axis thus contracting the central portion of the shell and forming what may be termed compression points 9 at diametrically opposite sides of and equi-distant from the axis of the piston 3 at which compression points are located suitable spark plugs 10. These compression points -9 and spark plugs 10 are located at opposite sides of a vertical line drawn through the axis of the piston 3 to cause the simultaneous compression and ignition of the compressed gases immediately upon being exposed to ignition by the spark plug. These cylinders 1 and 1 are provided with opposite fuel inlet ports 12 and 12-- and opposite exhaust ports 13 and 13 the fuel inlet ports being located in close proximity to but at one side of their corresponding spark tplu s -10 in the direction of rotatron 0 ill: piston indicated by arrow -m-, Fig; 6.

'-'18 and cams -19 best seen in Figs. 1

and 7, said cams being secured to a shaft upon which the piston 3 is mounted, the gases being under pressure at the inlets.

The exhaust ports 13.- and -13' are located in substantially the same horizontal plane as and at diametrically opposite sides of the axis of the piston 3' and communication through these ports between the interior of the cylinders and atmosphere is controlled by suitable valves '-22- which are rendered self-closing by external springs -23- and are adapted to be opened at reg- -ular predetermined intervals by levers -2at, plunger rods'25 and ean1s26- the latter being secured to the shaft -20 in close proximity to the cams 19.

The piston 3 which is substantially square or rectangular in cross section is lo eated centrally within the shell or casing at the j unetion of the cylinders -1 and and is rigidly secured to the shaft 0- which in turn is journaled in suitable bearings 27 in the opposite ends or heads 28 of the main shell or casing, said heads being removable to permit access to the interior of the cylinder and enables the curved bearings 8- to be accurately milled. These heads are formed on their inner faces with grooves 29 which are parallel with the bearing faces 8 and merge with each other at the junction of the cylinders and serve to receive suitable rollers -30 projecting laterally from opposite faces of the wings 4-, 5-, 6 and -7 to hold the extreme outer ends of said wings in contact with the bearing faces The distance between the compression points above and beneath the piston 3- is considerably less than the horizontal distance between opposite sides of the bearings --8- and therefore by making the grooves --2) parallel with the bearings 8- and engaging the rollers 30 of the wings in said grooves, it is evident that said wings will be folded toward and from adjacenhsides of the piston as the/latter is rotated.

As previo ly stated, I provide a. series of in this instance four wings, 4-, 5-, 6 and 7- corresponding to the number of sides of the piston -3 eachjwing being hinged at 33 to one corner of the piston while its remaining portion is free to move toward and from the adjacent side of the piston. Each side of the piston is therefore, provided with a folding wing hinged thereto and coacting therewith to receive and compress the live gases preparatory to ignition, each foldiing wing coacting with the next succeeding wing to effect the same re-- ,to protect them from excessive heat and products of combustion as best seen in Fig. 7.

The hinged ends of the wings and portions of the piston to which they are at- .tached arev recessed into each other in the manner shown in Fig. 3 so that a portion of the wing is interposed between opposed ears 42 on the ends of the piston while other portions of the wings overhang the outer facesofthe ears 42- to guard as far as practicable against leakages of the live gases at the joints,.the cars --42 serving to receive the hinge ins -33- which are passed through suitab e apertures in the intervening portion of the wings, the hinge joint being made additionally tight by the use of flat springs 43 which are. arranged in suitable recesses in the adjacent portion of the piston and exert a. spring pressure agniinstv the inner faces of the hinged ends of the wings.

The rollers 30 which are mounted upon suitable studs or bearings on opposite sides of'thetrailing ends of the wings and ride in the grooves 29 are provided with split packing rings 4l as shown in Fig. 5, said packing' rings encircling the inter.- inediate portion'of the rollers 30.and are formed of spring metal tcnsioned to open and thereby maintain a practically tight joint between the rollers and grooves in which they ride to prevent undue escape of the gases at such joints.

In.Fig. 6 I have shown the opposite pairs of Wings in position for effecting a maximum compression of the live between them, the space between each pair of wings being exposed to the spark plug ready for ignition of the compressed gases, the ignition of the compressed gases between both pairs of wings being. simultaneous and effeoted by "any well knownmechanism for producing simultaneous sparks at the plugs.

When the piston and wings are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, the fuel inlets and exhaust valves are closed in which position the compressed gases are ignited and the expansive force of the exploded gases exerts a lifting'power upon the wings 4 and 6 thereby gradually unfolding or opening the'wings which lie close to the adj'acent sides of the piston, and this power operating to unfold or open the wings 4r' and -i6'causes the bearing sections 40- to ride against the eccentric bearings 8 while the rollers riding in the grooves 29- keep the free ends of-the wings in contact with the bearing faces -'8'. This opening of the wings -4 and 6 against the bearings 8'- effects a forward rotary movement of the piston in the direction of opening of the wings, the spaces between the wings 4 and 5 and also between the wings 6 and 7 gradually increasing until the advance wings are open to their maximum degree, the enlargement of the intervening space permitting the gases to eX-, haust at a comparatively low pressure. As thepiston -3 continues to rotate through practically a quarter revolution or at about the same time that the contact sections -40- of the wings 4 and -6 reach or just begin to uncover the exhaust ports 13- and -13-, the exhaust valves -22' are opened by the cams 26 through the medium of the rods 25 and levers -24-,

- said valves being immediately closed by the springs 23 as soon as the contact sec tions of the wings pass the exhaust ports to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. In this position, the wings 4 and .5- and 6 and 7- between which the gas was previously compressed are separated to their maximum degree and the intervening spaces are registered with the fuel inlet openings at which time and dur ing a further partial revolution of the piston the fuel inlet valves15 are opened by the cams 19- through the medium of the rods 18 and levers 17, thus allowing fresh charges of the explosive mixture to enter between the advancing wings 4 and 5 and also between the wings -.6' and 7 when in the position shown by I dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 6.

-The cams'-19 are so constructed and timed as to hold the fuel inlet valves open while the wings 4 and 6- are passing from the position shown by dotted lines to the positions previously occupied by the win --5- and -7- shown by full lines in device not shown, after which the fuel inlet valves -'15 are closed by their springs 16, the exhaust valves being also closed.

' During this partial rotation of the piston and wings carried thereby from the position shown by full lines to the position sho'wnbyin pairs to compress the live gases previously the grooves 29 and rollers 30- riding therein.

6 during which time the explosive mixture is introduced through the open inlets under pressure by any suitable pressure.

those shown by full lines ready to ignite the intervening compressed charges of the explosive mixture, so that each wing coacts withthepne succeeding it to compress the gases and at the same time coacts with the one preceding it to form a larger chamber for the reception of the live gases so that four double explosions occur during each revolution of the piston or in other words two simultaneous explosions occur as each. side of the piston with the compressed wings thereon is brought into alinement with the spark plug.

The axial length of the piston and wings is substantially equal to the distance between the inner faces of the opposite heads 2- of the cylinder to form a running fit therewith.

The distance between the compression points 9- at the junction of the cylinders land -l is substantially equal to the combined diametrical width of the piston and opposite wings when .the latter are folded against the adjacent side of the piston but the distance horizontally through the axis of the piston between the opposite bearing faces 8 where the exhaust ports 13- and 13 are located is substantially equal to the combined diametrical width of the piston and transverse length of the wings when unfolded so that as the piston is'rotated the wings will be folded against its opposite sides when riding past the compression points -9- and will be unfolded or extended to their maximum opening when passing the exhaust ports, the

contact sections 40- of the wings being held against the eccentric bearing faces 8 during such rotation of the piston by In order to permit the packing rings 44 to be conveniently removed and replaced when worn, I provide the heads 2- with suitable openings which are normally closed by plugs 54, the openings in which the plugs are located being in circumferential alinement with the travel of the packing rings and, therefore, in aline-- ment with the grooves 2$).

Each of the cams -l$)-- and 26- is provided with two diametrically opposite sets or pairs of cam teeth, those of each pair being arranged at substantially right an-' gles to those of the other pair so as to open the fuel inlet valves and exhaust "alves as each side of the piston with the wings thereon is presented at a given point in the rotation of thepis ton. For example, all of the valves areclosed at the time of ignition of the compressedcharge which takes place immediately after each of the wings passes the spark plugs or compression points 1 -9- and the-exhaustsvalves are opened whl'le 'eachwing is passingv its exhaust port andthe fuel inlet valves are open through a short are of revolution of each wing after it leaves the exhaust port, but close before such wing reaches the compression point -9 or spark plug.

The entire shell inclosing the piston and its trailer wings is provided with a suitable water jacket o5' and the interior bearings for the wings are lubricated 'from suitable oil cups 56 having valve stems .-57- which project through suitable apertures in the shell into the path of the contact sections 40- of'the wings, each contact section acting upon the valve stem '57 to open the oil valve which is selfclosing by a suitable spring 58 shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and (3, the other oil cup as -60 shown at the left of Figs. 1 and 6 communicating with the interior of said shell through a suitable conduit61-.

In order to make the shell practically gas tight, suitable packings 62 of copper are placed between the heads -2- and ad jacent faces of the shell.

What I claim is: v

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, trailer wings hinged to the piston, a cylinder having merging piston chambers eccentric to the piston and each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, self closing valves for said ports, means to open said valves, igniting devices, and curved bearings also eccentric to the piston for engaging and moving the wings to and from said piston.

' 2'. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, a cylinder having merging piston chambers and curved inner bearing faces eccentric tothe piston, each chamber having an inlet port and an exhaust port, self closing valves for said ports, means for opening said valves, spark plugs in opposite sides of the cylinder, trailer wings hinged to the piston, and means for holding said wings in contact with said bearing faces as the piston is rotated and for rocking the wings toward the -piston as they approach I the spark plug.

r 3. In a rotary internalcombustion engine, a rotary piston, trailer wings hinged to the piston, a cylinder having merging piston chambers and curved 'inner bearing faces eccentric to the piston, each chamber having an inlet port and an exhaust port, self closing valves for said ports, means for opening said valves at regular intervals, means for holding the trailing ends of the wings in "piston, a cylinder havin contact with said bearings and for moving them toward, and from the piston as the latter is rotated, and igniting devices in the cylinder located wherethe chambers merge.

4; Ina rotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, trailer wings. hinged to the merglng piston chambers and curved bearings eccentric to the piston, each chamber having an inlet port and an exhaust port, the piston being located at the junction of said chambers. separate self-closing valves for said ports, means to hold the wings against said bearings as the piston is rotated, whereby the wings are rocked to and from the piston, means for opening each pair of inlet; valves and each pair of exhaust valves at regular but at different intervals during the rotation of the piston, and separate igniting de vices in opposite sides of the cylinder.

5. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, trailer wings hinged one in advance of the other to and around said piston, a cylinder having merging piston chambers eccentric to the piston and in which the piston and wings rotate, each cylinder ha ving an inlet port and an exhaust port. self closing valves for said ports, opposite spark plugs at the junction of the chambers, means for successively moving the wings toward the piston as they approach the spark plugs, means for opening the exhaust valves while each wing is passing the exhaust. port and means for opening the inlet valves just ai'ler each wing has passed the exhaust port.

6. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylinder and a rotary piston centrally mounted therein, said cylinder having opposite merging chambers eccentric to the piston, each chamber having an inlet port and an exhaust port, self closing valves for said ports, means for opening said valves at regular intervals, wings hinged one in advance of the other to and around the piston and bearing against the interior of the cylinder, means for holding the wings in contact with said cylinder, whereby they are moved to and from the piston as the latter is rotated to receive and compress an explosive mix ture, and means to ignite said mixture.

7. In arotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, wings hinged to the piston one in advance of the other, a cylinder inclosing the piston and wings and having merging piston chambers and bearings for s the wings, said chambers and bearings besaid bearings as the piston is rotated, means for opening the exhaust valves as each wing crosses the exhaust port, and means for opeuingthe inlet valves during the travelof the wings between the exhaust port and inlet port.

8. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylinder having merging piston chambers, a rotary piston at thejunction of said chambers, said chambers being eccentric to the piston and each provided with an inlet port .and an exhaust port, the inlet ports being with merging pisto chambers eccentric to said piston, each: chamber being provided with an inlet port and an exhaust port, selfclosing valves for saidports, the inlet ports being located at diametrically opposite sides of the pistonand equal distances from the respeetive exhaust ports, means for opening said valves, spark plu 5 located in proximity I to the inlet ports, an nieans'formoving the trailing ends of the wings toward the piston as said wings approach the spark plugs.

10. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston; a cylinder having opposite piston chambers eccentric to the piston and each provided with an-inlet port and an exhaust port, self-closing valves for said ports, trailer wings hinged to the piston, means for moving the trailing ends of the wings toward and from the piston as the latter is rotated, igniting devices located at points'in the cylinder where the wings are moved nearest to the piston, means for opening the exhaust valveswllile the wingsare passing the exhaust ports, and :nlditional means For opening the inlet valves just after the wings have passed the exhaust ports.

11. In arotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, wings hinged to the piston one in advance of the other, a cylinder inclosing the piston and wings and provided .with merging piston chambers eccentric to said piston, each chamber havin an-inlet port and an exhaust port, self closing valves for said ports, means for opening the exhaust valves while the win 5 are assing the "exhaustports only, and additional means for opening the-inlet valves for ashort interval just after the wings have passed'the exhaust ports.

' 12. In-arotary internal combustion engine, a rotary piston, wings hinged to the piston one in advance of the other, a cylinder inclosing the piston and wings and provided with merging piston chambers eccentric to the piston, each chamber having an inlet port and an exhaust port, spark plugs in the cylinder at diametrically oppos te sides of the piston and at the junction of the-merging chambers, self-closing valves for said portsfnieans for moving the wings toward the piston as they approach the spark plugs and also for moving the wingsaway from the piston as they approach the exhaust 

